Solon bingham



' BINGHAM.

LAMP CHIMNEY CLEANER.

No. 892,180. Patented Nov; 6, 1888.

N. PETERS. Photvmhogn'phnr. Wnhingtnn. D4 8.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOLON B INGHAM, OF OONKLINGVILLE, NE\V YORK.

LAMP-CHIMNEY CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,180, dated November 6, 1888.

- Application filed January 26, 1887. Serial No. 225,596. (Model.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SoLoN BINGHAM, aciti zen of the United States,residing at Conklingville, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Lamp-Chimney Gleaner, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning lamp-chimneys andlanternglobes; and it consists in certain details of construction which will be first described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section centrally through the greatest lateral dimension of the instrument, or from edge to edge, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section made centrally in a plane perpendicular to the section represented by Fig. 1, or from side to side of the instrument. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the instrument.

' Similar-letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, in which A, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is a piece of wood, or other suitable material, about three-eighths inch or other suitable thickness, the edge or border of which, between the points B and 0, Figs. 1 and 3, is in outline longitudinally what is known in architecture, in profile, as the cyma recta or ogee, to adapt it approxi mately to the longitudinal conformation of the inside of a common lamp-chimney or lanternglobe. This edge of the wood, block, or form A, Figs. 1 and 3, may be of any size or form that adapts it to the chimney or globe to be cleaned. A wedge-shaped piece, D, Figs. 1 and 3, is removed from the wood or block A to form the spring E, Figs. 1 and 3, in order by its depression to allow the point of the instrument to pass through the constricted portion of the chimney in the act of introducing the same into the chimney, and after passing this point to form with the covering hereinafter described a kind of journal turning in this portion of the chimney as its box or hearing, to steady this end of the instrument when in use, and also to impart the required pressure to the covering or cleaning surface hereinafter described against the inner surface of the chimney in this part of the same. Said spring also constitutes a yielding self-adj usting fulcrum essential to the well working of the instrument,when the instrument is regarded as a le-- ver of the second kind, in the operation of pressing radially upon the handle of the same to bring the brush-pad, cloth, or whatever cleaningsurface may be used, more or less firmly in contact with the inner surface of the chimney while being cleaned. The spring E is not necessarily made from the same piece of wood or identical with the block or form A, but may be made separately of another piece of wood or other material and suitably attached to the block or form A to adapt it to the purposes set forth.

The edge or border of the piece of wood A extending between the points G and H, Figs. 1 and 3, is approximatelyparallel to the bilge or convex edge of the block as far as they eX- tend side by side, and might with propriety be exactly so, or the curve G H might be of any other shape that reduced the width of the block or form A sufficiently to admit it, with the pad, brush, or other cleaning-surface attached easily into the chimney or globe to be cleaned. This cutting into or cutting away or reduction of the width of the block or form A at and along this border of the same enables the body A of the instrument to be introduced into the chimney, notwithstanding the projection of the bilge upon the opposite edge or border when operating in conjunction with the spring E, as set forth.

That part of the block A bounded on three sides by the lines H I, I .T, J K, Figs. 1 and 3, which Ieallthe butt of the block, may be of any form that will admit of its entering partially the butt or lower end of the lanip-ehimney when the instrument is in use, and also admit of the firm attachment to or insertion into it of the shank of the crank L, Figs. 1 and 3, (said crank having a handle, M, fastened loosely upon its spindle N,) and also admit of the firm attachment centrally upon the sides of the butt of the block A of the lugs O 0, Figs. 2 and 3. The lugs O 0', Figs. 2 and 3, are pieces of wood or other suitable material affixed upon the sides of the block or form A, centrally near the butt-end of the same, of the proper length to extend into the butt-end of the chimney when the instrument is in use, andare made to project from the block A the proper distance to hit or reach the inside of the butt or ring portion of the chimney, when in use, in order to prevent the instrument from being thrown to one side and impeding its operation by producing a cramping motion or effect in the constricted portion of the chimney, said lugs retaining the axis of the instrument, when in use, in coincidence with the longer axis of the chimney, by this means enabling the operator to produce the necessary rotary motion of the instrument with ease and certainty. Said lugs also serve as projections, to which are attached pads, cloth, sheep-skin with the wool 011, T T, Figs. 2 and 3, or other wiping or cleaning surface to clean the inner surface of the butt or ring portion of the chimney. From the point B continuously along the curved portion of this border of the block or form A and over the apex and along the outer side of the spring E is attached by any suitable meansas tacks or other fastenings-a pad, brush, cloth, strip of sheep-skin with the wool on,or other cleaning or wiping material or thing, S S S,Figs. l and 3preferablythesheep-skin with the wool onto form a yielding self-adjusting surface to wipe oft',clean,and carry away the products or combustion and other substances which condense or fall upon and adhere to the inner surface of the lampchimney or lantern-globe to be cleaned. The continuity of the wiper-pad or brush is preserved over the apex of the instrument, in order to protect the spring from accident and to direct the instrument to its place when being introduced and to form a cushion on both edges of the instrument at this part of the salne,in order to make it more certainly self-adjusting to the size of the chimney at its most constricted part, for the purposes hereinbelore set forth.

Upon one side of the block or form A, as at I, Figs. 2 and 3, at or near the middle, is attached a pad, cloth, piece of sheepskin with the wool on, or other wiping or cleaning surface, to be used to clean the outside of the chimney when the cleaner is withdrawn from the interior of the chimney. This pad l at fords a broad flat wiping-surface.

To the butt portion H I J K, Figs. 1 and 3, of the block A, near the point J, upon the edge adjacent to the convex portion of the same, is attached firmly, or firmly inserted into it, as at R, Figs. 1 and 3, a crank with a looselyfitted handle upon it, by means of which to operate the instrument, being turned in either direction to suit the convenience of the operator. To use the instrument, holding the chimney by the butt or ring portion, insert the instrument into the chimney and turn the crank bearing outward from the center or radially with sufficient force to bring the whole length of the cleaner in contact with the chimney. This will clean theinside below the constriction. Reverse the cleaner in' relation to the chimney, and inserting it into the top of the chimney as far as it will go, turn the crank, and this will clean the extreme upper portion of the chimney. Then clean the outside of the chimney with the side pad or brush, P.

I do not claim as my invention the identical contour of either edge of a fixed form, A, separately considered,nor of any one of the features hereinbefore described separate and apart from this instrument; but

Vhat I claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A lamp-chimney cleaner consisting of a block formed of one single piece having a spring arm or side at its upper end and provided with pads on its contact-surfaces, as set forth.

2. A lamp-chimney cleaner consistingof the body A, curved. as described and shown, and provided with the spring E,the lugs O O'and the butt, the brush-pads S T T, and the crank L M, combined and arranged substantially as shown and described.

SOLON BINGHAM.

\Vitncsses:

CHARLES P. VAN VLEOK, CHARLES H. MILLS. 

